Fastening means for doors and other closures



N. D. BALLANTINE FASTENING MEANS FOR DOORS AND OTHER CLOSURE'S FiledMarch 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mn 0. Ba/kur/I' M.

J Z7. 1.925. v

' N. D. BALLANTINE I FASTENING MEANS FOR-DO0RS AND OTHER CLOSURESiled-March 9, 1922 2 shets sheet 2 v WM zd w Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES ITO-TEN D. BALLANTINE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

FASTENING MEANS FOR DOORS AND OTHER CLOSURE.

Application filed March 9, 1922. Serial No. 542,326.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOTEN D. BALLAN- TINE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FasteningMeans for Doors and Other Closures, of

which the following'is a specification.

This invention pertains to a device for securing in position, edge uponedge, planks,

battens, or sectional doors employed as temporary closures for thedoorways of grain cars or box cars employed for carrying loose grain inbulk.

In lading cars with loose or unsacked grain, and with other cargoescomprising a great number of small particles or units, it is customaryto deliver the same through the doorway or doorways at the midlength ofthe car and to pile it up to the load line, or as nearly thereto as itsangle of repose will permit, until it flows or spreads out to thecentral portion of the car between the side doorways. When this point isreached,

planks,battens, or horizontally divided doors are set up, edge uponedge, against the door posts, the lowermost plank or member restingdirectly upon the car floor. The planks,

battens, or door sections require to be secured to the door posts toprevent their falling down or shifting out ofplace, and this hasheretofore been accomplished by the use of nails, driven through theplanks, battens or door elements and into the door posts, and

at the bottom, into the car floor.

The use of nails is objectionable because they tend to spilt the planksor boards, in whatever form used; to injure the door posts; and torenderdifiicult the withdrawal of the nails to release the temporaryclosure.

Often the nails are broken off, leaving a portion protruding, .and thesefrequently cause injury to sacked or to finished commodities, andsometimes to trainmen and freight handlers. The aggregate loss throughbreakage or injury of the closure elements, damage to cars andcommodities, and injury to employees is very considerable.

The device now to be described is designed to obviate the undesirableconsequences attending the use of nails, and to simplify the work andlessenthe time required in setting up and securing the temporaryclosures referred to. It is illustrated in two slightly yariant forms inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a freight car body showingthe doorway and one of the door posts or j ambs, with two planks or doorsections in position and secured by my improved fastening device;

Fig 2 is a perspective view of the device itself prior to application, apointed spur being provided near one end to enter the lower edge of theplank or door element above it;

i Fig; 3, a similar view, but showing an upstanding lug or extension toengage against the inner face of the plank, batten or door elementinstead of being driven or forced into its lower edge; I l

Fig. 4, a transverse vertical sectional view of two planks or doorelements placed edge upon edge against a door post, and secured 1nposition by my improved fastener or device; I a

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 perspective views illustrating the several stepsinvolved in applying the fastener, in the order in which they areperformed; 1

.Fig. 8, a perspective view of the device with the upstanding spur orlug omitted, as may be done when the device is lntended for use at apoint or points intermediate the door posts; and i Figs. 9, 10, 11 and12, views illustrating the mode of application and use of the device inthis form.

Referring first to Fig. 2,,which shows the fastener ready forapplication to either the right or the left hand door j amb, it will beseen to comprise a wire or slender stem 1, both extremities of which aresharpened or pointed to facilitate their being driven or forcedrespectively into the closure elements and into the door post or jamb.The end which is to enter the door jamb or post is bent at substantiallya right angle to the stem 1, to form a spur 2, while the opposite end isgiven two similar bends at the points 3 and 4 respectively, the portion5 beyond the bend 3 constituting a spur to enter the inner face of thedoor element, and the arm or portion 6 between the bends 3 and 4 beingmade longenough to have an adequate bearing against such inner face ofthe door element to firmly hold the same. As seen in said Fig. 2, thespur 2 and arm 6 are parallel ment by which to twist or apply torsion tothe stem 1, so as to swing-the spur 2 to a position or angular relationof or thereabout to the arm 6, so that while said arm stands in verticalposition to obtain effective hold upon the door or closure element, thespur 2 shall be in horizontal position where it may readily be forced ordriven 1nto the door amb 8 or face of the post. The loop 7 has thefurther purpose or function of enabling the person applying the deviceto shorten its length and thereby draw the door elements firmly againstthe post after the sbur's 5 and 2 are successively driven into the saiddoor elements and into the door jamb or post, respectively; This .iseffected by introducing a rod. hammer, or other suitable implement intoloop 7. and winding or twisting the branches or portions; of stem 1 onopposite sides of the loop about each other.

Projecting upwardly from the stem] of the device, close to hen-def, is aspur 9, sharp ened to enter the lower edge of a board, hat-ten or doorclement dropped upon it from a short distance above it, the spur servingto retain such lower edge in place.

In the modified form shown in Fig". 3 the construction differs from thatof Fig. 2 merely in that instead of providing a sharpened spur topenetrate the lower edge of the plank or door element, the stem 1 isbent tO' fOIIIl an upstanding lug or extension 10 of the bearingport-ion 6. to lie back of the closure element and hold its lower edgein tlllIlGll'lBllt with that of the element next be low, and its outerface snugly against the door post.

In applying the device, the lowermost plankor element 11 of thetemporary door or closure is placed on edge upon the car flooracrossthe'doorway or opening, and with its ends lapping over or beyondthe 'side'posts of the doorway, as indicated in Fig. 1. One of thefasteners is then laid across the upper edge of the door element, withthe point of spur 5 inv contact with the inner face of said elemcntormember. A slight tap of ahammer. or application of moderate pressurewill force spur 5 into the inner face of the member, bringingthe arm (1into contact with said face, and causing spur 9 or lug 10 to stand inposition to enter or to pass behind the lower edge of the next plank orelement12 of the closure, to be droppededgewise down upon the lowermostelement 11. The spur 5 being forced into is then driven or the lank orelement 1]., the spur 2 is bent to tie right or left to point toward theleft or the right hand jamb, as the case may be, with which it is toengage. The spur 2 forced into the door jamb or post, thus firmlyanchoring the fastener thereto. Finally, 'a'suitable implement, as ashort iron rod, a hammer handle, or other, is inserted into the loop 7,and the crossing portions of the stem 1 are twisted into a spiral or arewound one around the other, thus shortening the stem 1 and drawing spur5, arm 6, and spur 9 or extension 10 toward the spur 2, and so pressingand firmly holding the door elements in close contact with the doorosts.

It IS manifestly immaterial whether the upstanding spur 9 or extension10 be employed, as they perform the same office in essentially the sameway.

There the temporary doors or closures are of relatively light material,or the outward pressure is heavy, it is often desirable to to videagainst the springing of one plan or door element out of plane ora-linement with another above or below, and the same device may beemployed for this purpose, without change. I prefer, however, for suchuse, to omit the spur 9-01 lug 10, or in other words, to make the devicein the form shown in Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, and to apply it in theway indicated in said figures, the device in its final form, being shownin Fig. 1 at a point intermediate the door posts.

The device in this form is shown in Ft 8, and is placed in verticalposition as in Fig. 9, and spur 5 is forced or driven into the innerface of the door or closure element 11, as seen in said figure. Thisdone, the stem 1 is bent over and laid down upon the upper edge of saiddoor element 11, as shown in Fig. 10. Before or after the succeedingclosure element 12 is placed in position above element 11, the stem 1 istwisted with or without the aid of a suitable implement applied to loop7, so that. spur 2 points upward and loop 7 stands below stem 1, asshown in Fig. 1]. Finally. the stem 1 is given a right angle bend at thepoint 13, at the forward and lower edge of member 12, and spur 2 isforced or driven into the outer face of said member asshown in Fig. 12,so that as finallv applied the fastener has the form and position shownin Fig. i the door posts.

lt will be seen that by this simple device, convenient and inexpensivemeans is afforded for quickly and firmly securing temporary closures inposition, and as readily releasing them.

In practice I find it convenient and expedient to form the fasteners ofiron or steel wire, of No. 8 British Wire Gauge or thereabout, andpieferably galvanized; but they may be made of any suitable metal oralloy l at a point intermediate possessing the requisite degree ofmalleability. I hence do not restrict myself to the use of wire.

Variations may manifestly be made in the form and proportions of thedevice without departing from the essence of my invention, which residesin the provision of the body having spurs at opposite ends, positionedor positionable at will to enter the door element and the right or leftjamb of the doorway, and to anchor the former to the latter, or to tietogether two such closure elements. The loop 7 may in some cases beomitted, though not without impairing the convenience and effectivenessof the device.

Owing to the outward pressure of grain or like cargoes against thetemporary doors, it is not necessary that the fasteners be heavy or ofgreat strength, their duty being mainly the retention of the door orclosure elements in position during the lading of the car.

The device may be used in other situations where similar closures arerequired or desirable.

The fastenings above described in no Way interfere with the usual cardoors, and require no special provision or adaptation of the car topermit their use.

What I claim is 1. A fastener for temporary car door closures,consisting of a metallic stem provided at one end with a spur turnedbackward beneath said stem, and connected therewith by an arm atsubstantially a right angle to the stem and spur; a spur at the oppositeend substantially parallel and in plane with said arm; and a loopintermediate the spurs.

2. A fastener for temporary car door closures, consisting of a metallicstem provided at one end with a. spur turned backward beneath the stem,and connected therewith by an arm at substantially a right angle to thestem and spur; a spur at the opposite end substantially parallel and inthe same plane with said arm; a loop intermediate the spurs; and anupstanding member to engage and hold in place the lower edge of a dooror closure element placed above the fastener.

3. A fastener for securing and holding in place individual planks of atemporary doorway closure for freight cars, said fastener comprising a.substantial malleable metallic stem provided at opposite ends withlaterally projecting spurs pointed and adapted to be driven into saidplanks, and with an intermediate loop or eye adapted to receive a tool,whereby the loop may be swung about the axis of the stem and caused toshorten the stem and draw together the parts connected by the fastener.

4. A fastener for temporary doors or closures, comprising a wire stem; aspur at one end of the stem and an arm at the opposite end thereof; aspur at the free end of said arm; and a spur intermediate the ends ofthe stem, said stem, spurs and arm all lying in a common plane.

5. A fastener for temporary doors or closures, comprising a wire stem; aspur at one end of the stem and an arm at the opposite end thereof; aspur at the free end of said arm; a spur intermediate the ends of thestem; and a loop formed in the stem, to receive an implement by whichthe stem may be twisted to vary the angular relation of the end spursand to shorten the stem, said stem, spurs, arm and loop all lying in acommon plane.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

NOTEN D. BALLANTINE.

